Paleo pretzels!

10.24.12

So I learned about a way to make paleo pretzels, where the kids could roll and play with the dough. And it actually worked! It was really cool, and as you can see, and we all had a lot of fun! While they were good, unfortunately, because they weren’t very crunchy, I think my kiddos were expecting something different. As I’ve said before, it’s all about the marketing!! I think I would call them bread sticks next time.

Tate kept saying he wanted his dark brown but luckily he still liked them. I thought they were really pretty good but Alice didn’t love them. I guess if you add some salt and butter to anything it’s going to be good! If you want something carb-y and salty, it does satisfy that craving for sure! And I think if you dipped them in marinara or just added some cinnamon (not with the marinara of course), you could have a whole different snack.

Here’s what you need for your pretzels/bread sticks:

3 eggs

1 and 1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp. celtic salt salt

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp coconut flour

1 teaspoon water

Coarse salt

cinnamon and coconut palm sugar (optional)

Beat just 2 eggs, and set them aside. Then in a medium bowl, add the almond flour, salt and 1 tbsp butter together and mix well. Once well mixed, add the eggs. You’ll then add in one tablespoon of coconut flour and mix in well. Allow to sit for about a minute as the coconut flour takes a bit of time to absorb. You are looking for a dough that can be easily kneaded, yet will not stick to your hands. Add a second tablespoon of coconut flour, stir well, then add a last tbsp of coconut flour.

Let the dough rest for five minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Now it’s time to play! Get out a cookie sheet and cover and some parchment paper. Start by taking a hunk of dough about the size of a golf ball,and roll the dough under your hands into a long skinny pencil about the length of a pencil and then twist it carefully into the shape of your choice.

Place the “bread” in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Beat the remaining egg and add 1 teaspoon water.

Remove the pretzels from the oven. Turn the oven up to 400°F.

Turn all of the pretzels over and you will see the bottom is nicely browned. Lightly brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Then, melt 1 tbsp of butter and brush that on top as well. Then you could also add your cinnamon and coconut palm sugar if desired.

So proud…

She might not love these, but she had a ball making them. Oh well, just means more for me and Tate!

I look forward to making these again using different variations. Get creative with them and have fun!

Mmmm, warm buttery bread sticks, pretzels, whatever you want to call them. Regardless, they were made with love…

Louise-Wow – that’s a fantastic idea for pretzels! I love it! Gonna try making them this weekend 🙂ReplyCancel

jennifer-Made these tonight to go with dinner bbq chicken on the grill and baked sweet potato (but that is besides the point) My house of four enjoyed them but we have been gluten free for years and know what to expect from almond flour… I added garlic powder and onion powder to coconut oil and brushed the outside (both sides) when it was their turn up. Next time I will add garlic powder, onion powder, basil, and oregano to the batter. Super yummy thank you for the recipeReplyCancel

landriav -Ohh that sounds awesome Jennifer!!! I’m going to have to try that. I bet that would make for really good “bread” sticks! Thanks for commenting!ReplyCancel

Katarina -Does the butter have to be melted when mixing with flour?ReplyCancel

landriav -Yes, it will definitely make mixing easier. Thanks for asking! Hope you like them!ReplyCancel

Kristina -We made these for lunch today, and had them with homemade marinara (I used mustard!)We took Jennifers suggestion and added galic, onion powder, basil, oregano, and some chili pepper flakes to the batter. It was delicious! Has anyone tried adding baking powder to this? I was thinking it would make them a bit more fluffy, and i was hoping mixing cooked italian sausage into them (and then dipping in marinara) would make a fun “pizza” stick! The “pretzel” is too good to just stay a simple pretzel!ReplyCancel

landriav -YUM Kristina!! That sounds awesome!!!! I will try that soon, for sure. Maybe this week it sounds so good. Thanks for your comment!ReplyCancel

elysha -my pretzels came out really brown and dry, not nearly as yellow and fluffy looking as yours. Help?ReplyCancel

landriav -Hmm, so sorry Elysha. Did you use large eggs? Sometimes coconut flour can really soak up liquids. Maybe use an extra white next time? Sorry it didn’t turn out!ReplyCancel

Chelsea -These turned out amazing!
Next batch I will probably add some garlic powder and rosemary to the batter.
I can’t believe it took me this long to find a recipe that resembles batter!!!
Thank you!ReplyCancel

landriav -You are so welcome! Thank you for telling me. So glad it worked out Chelsea!!!ReplyCancel

Nathalie Beaubien -Although these were easy to make, they really did not taste as good as I would have liked. They had a very sweet taste to them. I made 2 batches because the first one was sweet, so the second batch I added a lot of basil and garlic powder. Unfortunately, they also tasted sweet. In my opinion, these would make a much better dessert.

landriav -Hey Nathalle, so sorry they didn’t turn out. As for the sweetness, I honestly have no idea. We didnt use any optional coconut palm sugar so ours weren’t sweet at all. I cant imagine why yours would have been if you didnt add any sweetener. I guess could you add a little extra salt? As for the dryness, try to add a tbsp of butter. Maybe that would help??ReplyCancel

Lisa D -I made these with Land o Lakes garlic and herb butter and they came out very well. I used Bob’s Red Mill flours, which are very finely ground. Mine came out looking like real bread sticks, hurrah! Your instructions were great and I’ll definitely make these again. This is the first paleo “bread” recipe I’ve tried and I’m really happy to have this option now. They tasted great with marinara sauce.ReplyCancel

landriav -Oh Lisa, that is so great to hear!! Thank you for taking the time to tell me. 🙂ReplyCancel

Kelly -Do you think could use rice flour instead of coconut as my son is reactive to coconut? Thanks.ReplyCancel

landriav -Hey Kelly, I haven’t tried it so can’t say for sure. Coconut flour does require a lot more liquid (eggs or coconut milk) since it absorbs so much so just be sure to adjust and take out liquids. You might be able to tell as you combine the ingredients by seeing the texture.ReplyCancel

Natasa-I wonder if I could try these with Chickpea Flour (gram flour) maybe instead of almond flour. What do you think?ReplyCancel

landriav -Hey Natasha! I am so sorry I am just now responding but your note went to my junk email for some odd reason and I am just now reading this! So sorry!! I haven’t used chickpea flour before so unfortunately, I am still not helpful. Sorry! 🙁ReplyCancel

Jennifer K -Hi! It’s my first time using almond flour and coconut flour. Are the pretzels supposed to be grainy/nutty or soft like regular pretzels?ReplyCancel

landriav -Hi Jennifer,
They will definitely be a little different. The texture in paleo flours is different so if you’re not use to them, you will notice a difference. But we love how they taste, and how they make us feel! 🙂ReplyCancel

Mama654 -We made these following recipe directions exactly- but they just didn’t turn out so good 🙁ReplyCancel

landriav -Hey! I’m so sorry to hear it. If you want to try again, follow the recipe from the donuts http://stiritup.me/?p=8816 but instead of coconut palm sugar (and of course omit the chocolate), use oregano and salt. I am much happier with this more recent recipe. I hope you like it if you try it!ReplyCancel

Judith-I just tried making these with my daughter and it was so fun! She also wanted crunchier pretzels in the end, but still snacked on them. With regards to the comments about it tasting “sweet”, I do find that most recipes I make with almond flour/meal seem to have a hint of sweetness to them because of the almonds. It’s not a completely bland taste like more traditional flours.ReplyCancel

Melissa Schlichting -These were AMAZING! Not to be outdone by others, I decided to try almost EVERYONE’S suggestions for add-ins: garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, and baking powder. Then I decided to take it one step further and add parmesan and shredded cheddar….! These were so delicious! I used them as “breadsticks” and they disappeared almost immediately! I’m not sure if the baking powder changed the texture or not, as I hadn’t tried making them without, but it definitely didn’t harm them in the least! Thanks for the great recipe and all the wonderful suggestions!ReplyCancel

landriav -SO great to hear!!!! Thanks so much for sharing Melissa!! 🙂ReplyCancel

landriav -Hey! You could use sunflower seed flour or cashew flour. You can make the sunflower seed flour yourself or find some online. I know Trader Joe’s carries a cashew flour or at least they use to. Hope that helps!ReplyCancel

Denise -What would you suggest to make these more like a cinnamon twist? I was thinking it would make a great Christmas morning treatReplyCancel

landriav -Hey, I would get a bowl of coconut sugar and cinnamon (maybe 2 tbsp cps to 1 tbsp cinnamon). Cover the bread sticks with melted butter (brush it on) and then roll in the sugar and cinnamon combo. I hope they turn out well!ReplyCancel

Jean -Anyone tried to use this as a pizza crust? Maybe for at least individual pizzas?ReplyCancel

Necole -My pretzels were still soft or wet in the middle. I wanted it to be dry. I put it on the right temp and let it stay in oven for 15 mins but wasn’t what I expected.ReplyCancel

Joann -Can you tell me the portion size & calorie & carb count per serving? I know paleo is a no count program, but I guess I’ve been programmed to worry about ‘breads’. Thanks so much for all of your recipes. I am definitely a lot happier on paleo now that I can have ‘bread’!ReplyCancel

Jaime -I’m wondering if anyone has tried boiling these to make them chewier and more soft pretzel like.ReplyCancel

Liza Shaw-These look amazing! Unfortunately I have an allergy to almonds. Could I substitute the almond flours for cashew flour? If so, do you think it is a 1:1 substitution?ReplyCancel

landriav -Hey Liza, yes cashew flour would be great…maybe even better! And yes, 1 for 1. Hope you enjoy them!!ReplyCancel

Kelsey -I have been craving bread terribly! I’ve had keto bread before but it tasted like corn bread with no flavor and way too “eggy”. I am so excited to try this!! Thanks for the post!ReplyCancel